Most conventional communications networks today, particularly existing telephone networks, provide a calling party with an audible ringback signal when an intended called network address or station line is idle and a busy signal when the intended called network address or station line is already in use, i.e., the telephone or other device at the called network address is being used. Many calling parties become frustrated when encountering a busy signal especially since the standard or usual tones used to signify a busy signal are annoying. The time that a calling party and/or the calling station equipment remains on the line and attempts to redial the called network address or station line normally represents wasted time and unnecessarily occupies network equipment without generating network income. The time spent while waiting for the call to be completed, i.e., during the audible ringback period or other call set-up periods, is also wasted time and money. It would be beneficial to be able to productively occupy the time that the calling party and/or the calling station equipment is on the line or occupying a portion of the network without annoying the calling party by requiring the calling party to listen to or view a meaningless or annoying busy signal or a ringback signal. The foregoing scenario holds true whether the calling party is attempting to complete a call to another telephone or to any other location within a communications network which has a network address assigned to it, regardless of the station equipment which may be connected at either end of the network connection or within the network itself.
It would be advantageous to have a communications system which would replace the audible or visual ringback and/or busy signals initiated by the communications network with a series of pre-recorded announcements which would provide the calling party with useful information. When the telephone or other device at the called network address or station line is answered, the announcements would discontinue and the connection would be completed in the usual manner. In addition, the announcements would be discontinued if the calling party abandons the communication or attempted communication.
The present invention is directed to a communications marketing system which is capable of replacing a busy signal or ringback signal by one or more pre-recorded announcements. The present communications marketing system notifies the calling party or caller that the line of the called network address or station is either busy or idle and, if busy, that the line will be automatically retried for completion of the call after expiration of a predetermined time period. If the line is idle, one or more pre-recorded announcements are played for the caller, the announcements continuing until a party or device at the called network address or station responds by answering the telephone or otherwise. At that time, the announcements are discontinued and the call is completed. If the called network address or station line is busy, a number of pre-recorded announcements are played for the predetermined time period. The announcements can vary in subject matter. Once the called network address or station line is determined to be idle, i.e., no longer in use, the calling party is automatically connected to the called network address or station line and the announcements are terminated.